


Cakes and Microphones

by evanhansensfavoritetree



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, basically nobody plays hockey now they're all musicians, the band Au, the fic nobody asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-08-09 05:33:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7788703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evanhansensfavoritetree/pseuds/evanhansensfavoritetree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bitty moves away from home after college finally starting his adult life! luckily he picks up a job at a local bakery and even joins a band, but there's something about the lead singer that he can't figure out. Will this gig be more than he expected</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Why you shouldn't sing at work

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for checking out this story! The updates might not be exactly scheduled but I'm gonna try to get them out as fast as I can! Thank you soooo much and I hope you enjoy this.

Eric Bittle was never the kind of guy to be adventurous, I mean sure with recipes but life was completely different! Yet somehow he was sitting on a plane to Maryland ready to start his career. About a week ago Eric found an ad online for a new bakery opening up and after a lot of convincing by friends and family he finally took the leap and bought a plane ticket.

 

The plane finally touched down and I breathed a sigh of relief. I never thought a one hour flight could be so stressful but between screaming children and being seated next to one of the loudest sleepers in the history of the world I was worn out. I made my way as quick as possible out of the airport and into a taxi. I passed up the address of my new apartment and plugged in my earbuds as the airport faded into the background. I grabbed my bags from the trunk and made my way up the rickety stairs and into my apartment. The furniture looked old but at least it's not broken. I made my way to my favorite room in any place, the kitchen. The kitchen was small but everything seemed to be in working order. I decided to pop a pie in the oven to take over to the bakery. One apple pie later and I was out the door. The bakery was only ten minutes from my new place so I thought walking was a good idea considering I don't have my own car. The bakery was a cute little place, lots of pictures of food on the outside and up top, a sign which said “In Your Face Cakes” in bright bold letters. I pushed open the door and made my way inside. “Hey there, we aren't really ready for customers sweetheart.” The women behind the counter said as she finished stacking napkins. “Oh I'm actually here for a job.” I said as I walked up to the counter. “Oh well alrighty then!” She says as she faces me. I place the pie down on the counter. “I'm Hannah by the way.”

“I'm Eric Bittle”

Hannah takes one bite of my pie and I know I have the job, after all nobody can refuse an Eric Bittle pie. “This is the best pie I've ever had.” Hannah says with wide eyes and an even wider smile. Hannah tossed me an apron and placed the rest of the pie in the display case. “Think you can make more of these?” She asks with a grin.

“Well I'm gonna need some apples and some other ingredients.”

“How 'bout these apples?” Hannah laughs as she places a basket of apples on the counter.

“Those'll do just fine.” I say through my giggles.

“Well I'll let you get started and in about an hour I'll open up to the public!” Hannah says as she sends me back into the kitchen. I plug in my earbuds, turn on my music and start peeling apples. The hour seemed to fly by as I placed platters of mini pies in the oven. Hannah came in and told me I could make a few other treats so I started to whip up a few batches of sugar cookies. I check my phone for the time and slide over to the next song on my playlist, C'mon from Panic! At the disco.

_It's getting late and I cannot seem to find my way home tonight, feels like I am falling down a rabbit hole. Falling for forever. Wonderfully wandering alone._

 

I sang, earbuds in, without a care in the world. The music was so loud I didn't hear the door open or any walk into the kitchen. Out of nowhere a hand tapped my shoulder. I spun around and yanked out my earbuds only to come face to face with a tall man with long-ish brown hair, a mustache, and bright green eyes.

“Who are you?” I asked cautiously, checking for an escape route.

“Sorry to scare you dude, I just heard you singing and made my way back here! Your voice fucking rocks! I'm Shitty by the way.” He replies with an outstretched hand and a grin. I nervously return the handshake.

“I'm Eric Bittle. How did you get back here?”

“Well Bitty, I've been friends with Hannah for years, she really more like my mom. Anyways about your voice, I'm in this band and we've been looking for a good vocalist for like duets and stuff and you would be perfect! You should totally come meet the band and audition!”

“Shitty no offense but I just met you, I just moved here!” I exclaim.

“Well this is a perfect way to make friends and it's not like I'm a serial killer or anything. Just come by the place and check out the rest.” Shitty replies as he writes the address down on a napkin and hands it to me.

“I promise you won't be disappointed.” He says as he walks out of the kitchen and out the door.

 

After work I check the clock on my phone, five twenty-seven. I decided to head over to Shitty's place and see what this band was all about. The house (or Haus as Shitty wrote) was only about a ten minute walk from the bakery but people tend to zone out while walking which means I was trapped behind some of the slowest walking people I've ever seen. The house was a cute little place on the corner with a nice garage, the band was obviously practicing since I could hear them a street over. I walked up to the garage seeing Shitty playing away behind the drums. The thing that caught my attention though was the lead singer. Sure he's tall and buff and gorgeous but what really caught my attention was his eyes, these startlingly blue eyes that pierced stared right into my soul. They were playing C'mon which I assume was Shitty's doing and before I knew it I was pulled in. The lead singer quieted and looked over at me expectantly as I came in with the next verse.

_If I should die tonight, may I just say first I'm sorry for I never felt like anybody, I am a man of  many hats although I never mastered anything. When I am ten feet tall I never felt this smaller since the fall, Nobody seems to know my name so don't leave me to sleep all alone may we, stay lost on our way home._

The lead joined back in when we hit the chorus and we finished the song together. I looked up at him once the song was over and stretched out my hand. “I'm Eric Bittle.”

“Jack Zimmerman.” He replies and firmly returns the handshake. Shitty hops up and runs over to me immediately ruffling my hair and laughing. “That was amazing Bitty, see I told you your voice was awesome! I say you're in, if you want to!” Shitty practically shouts. Shits finally decides to introduce me to the rest of the band Lardo the keyboardist who's an artist and really chill, Ransom the guitar player and part one of the best bros duo, Holster the bassist and part two of the best bros duo, and then there's Jack their lead singer the gorgeous guy with the voice of a dang angel.

“Before you decide you wanna join, I should probably go over a few things.” Shitty says as he leads me into 'The Haus'. “So basically as a member of the band you'd need to show up for rehearsal which won't be a problem because you also should live here.” Shitty says as we walk into the living room. “What?” I ask as we sit down on an old, dusty, green couch. “You should live here.”

“Shitty I just met all of you, and I just moved here.”

“Yeah I know it sounds insane but just hang out here for a little bit, explore the house, take your time making the decision and come see me whenever. Alright Bitty?”   
“Okay, I'll stay for a little while longer.”

Shitty got up and ruffled my hair again before walking back out to the garage. If I'm even going to consider living here I need to take a look around. I made my way out of the living room and into what seemed to be the kitchen. Red solo cups and beer bottles were strewn over the tables and the fridge was barely stocked. There were apples on top of the fridge and before I knew it the kitchen was cleaned and there was a pie baking in the oven. I opening my phone and put on Halo laying it down on the counter and taking a see on top of the island.

_Remember those walls I built? Well, baby their tumbling down and they didn't even put up a fight, they didn't even make a sound. I found a way to let you in but I never really had a doubt. Standing in the light of your halo, I got my angel now. It's like I've been awakened, every rule I had you breaking. It's the risk that I'm taking, I ain't never gonna shut you out._

_Everywhere I'm looking now, I'm surrounded by your embrace._

_Baby I can see your halo, you know you're my saving grace._

I pull the pie out of the oven and place it on the island to find myself being stared at by one very hungry and excited band.


	2. The chapter where Jack Zimmerman finally eats pie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving into The Haus seems like a daunting task but maybe it's better than it seems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're still enjoying this  
> if you have any ideas be sure to pester me on tumblr @king-of-the-trash-pile

 

 “This place smells better than my aunt's house.” Ransom says as he steps forward to grab a slice. The last to try the pie is Jack, he grabs the last piece and takes a bite. I watch his expression change from indifferent to surprise to something I cannot name but he looks up at me and nods and I feel like I'm falling. “So have you made up your mind yet Bits? I talked with everyone and they all want you.” Shitty says through bites of pie.

“Okay, I'll join and I'll move in. You're lucky I just moved here and haven't even had time to unpack.” I replied with a smile. Shitty picked me up into a giant bear hug on the rest of the band gathered around up laughing and cheering. I looked into the doorway to find Jack leaned up against the frame smiling slightly.

I went back to my apartment around seven and settled in for my last night here. I pulled out my phone and opened it up to the group chat that Shitty added me too.

B-'So what are you guys even called?'

L-'You haven't even told him the band name yet?'

S-'I was getting to that Lards, we're called Sticks For Dicks'

L-'When the hell did you come up with that?'

S-'Yesterday and it’s amazing.'

L-'no. We are henceforth known as Slap shot.'

S-'HELL YES'

I laughed as I put down my phone and slowly fell asleep.

 

 

This is it, I'm moving to the Haus. It seems so insane that after only one day of being here I'm moving in with people who I've just met, but no matter how crazy it seems it also feels pretty right. Shitty told me he would drive over at nine to load up my stuff. I hear a car horn and I peek out the window to see Shitty grinning in the front seat of a beat up old pickup truck. I have to wonder how old that car is with its considerable amount of wear. I grab what few bags I have and say goodbye to the apartment I spent my first night in. I toss the bags in the back of Shitty's truck and hop in the front. I'm greeted with the smell of beer and the wonderful sounds of Journey blaring. “Sorry about the smell, we drive this thing to a lot of gigs.” Shitty says although he doesn't sound very apologetic, more nostalgic than anything. “Oh no it’s not a problem.” I say as I peer out the window at the trees flying by. Shitty turns the radio up and we both belt out “Here I go again” by Whitesnake. We pull up to the Haus, waiting a few minutes in the car to finish the song. The song ends and the moving begins. We get all of my things in rather quickly but then comes the impending doom of unloading my kitchen equipment.

 

After an hour of unloading and cleaning up that beer can infested kitchen, which had somehow reappeared after my last visit, all my stuff was unloaded and I was officially moved in. My room sure was bigger than my first place but I do share a bathroom now so it feels a lot more like college. My room also happened to be right across the hall from a certain stoic lead singer. First thing I learned about Jack Zimmerman after moving in is he likes to rehearse, alone, without realizing how loud he is. I spent most of the day making a new vlog and editing, after the video was posted I decided that since it was my first night in the Haus I should make dinner. Baking certainly is my forte but I can work my way through a simple meal right? Wrong, so very wrong. After picking up the ingredients from the store I managed to over boil pasta, almost lose a finger cutting veggies, and succeed in the art of burning steak. As if this failure couldn’t get worse then Jack just has to work in on me begging the oven not to hate me and promising to stick to pies. “Having trouble?” Jack asks.

“No I meant to make burned food.” I say as I turn to face him. Jack lets out a short laugh as he walks over to the stove. I move to the side as he cleans up my burned mess and starts on an actual meal. Jack gives me the simple task of washing some veggies and once I was done I took a seat at the breakfast bar to watch him work. I’ve only known him for one day but this is the most relaxed I’ve seen him. He starts to sing as he cuts up tomato.

_White lips, pale face, breathing in the snowflakes_

_Burned lungs, sour taste._

_Lights gone, days end, struggling to pay rent_

_Long nights, strange men_

He looks like he’s lost in his own world and doesn’t even notice I’m still there until I join in.

_And they say she’s in the class A team_

_Stuck in her daydream_

_Been this way since eighteen but lately_

_Her face seems, slowly sinking, wasting_

_Crumbling like pastries and they scream_

_The worst things in life come free to us_

We finished out the song as Jack continued cooking. He has this quiet intensity when he sings that you can see in his eyes, like he’s pouring his soul into every word.

“Bittle?” Jack says pulling my out of my thoughts.

“Oh um...yes?”

“Wanna grab the guys for food?” Jack says with a smirk, never thought I’d see that on his face but it suits him.

After rounding up everyone we all sit down at the table to eat. It’s like nothing I’ve ever been a part of before, with mom and dad it was always quiet until someone mentioned sports, and in college I didn’t have many people to eat with anyways. This is loud and happy and the air seems to tingle with electricity. Jack participates a little, even throwing out some of those ‘chirps’ which we all send right back.

“So bitty what’s your story anyways?” Holster asks after swallowing the salad he had shoved into his mouth.

“Oh it’s not much. My dad is a coach for hockey and football, I used to be a competitive figure skater, then I went to college for business and now I work at “In Your Face Cakes’.” I reply.

That seems to appease everyone’s curiosity as the conversation quickly changed to hockey discussions. Over the course of dinner I learned that they all went to the same college and all played hockey together but after a series of mishaps that nobody wants to mention they all got into music. 

"The band's' only been together for about two years now and we've played some cool gigs but nothing huge" Shitty informs me and I breathe a sigh of relief. I was a little worried about how well I'd fit here but for once I don't even feel like I have to try, it's so easy here. 


End file.
